Spearfish, SD: shortest day and earliest sunset
The shortest day in Spearfish
On Dec 21 the sun rises at 7:29 am and sets at 4:18 pm: 8h 50m of daylight, a dark winter. The longest day of summer has 15h 33m, so the swing is 6h 43m.
When it gets better in Spearfish
- Earliest sunset: 4:15 pm on Dec 9, before the shortest day (here is why).
- Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:32 am on Jan 2.
- Back above 10 hours of daylight: Feb 5.
- By Feb 21 the days grow by 3 minutes a day.
Waking and coming home in the dark
With a 7:00 am alarm, the sun is not yet up on 82 weekdays a year. Heading home at 5:30 pm, it has already set on 80. 59 weekdays start and end in the dark. The alarm and lamp guide shows how that compares across the country.
At 44.5°N this is as far north as, or farther than, Nashua NH (43°N), where a 1990 survey found 9.7% of adults reported winter depression.
What to do about it in Spearfish
- A sunrise alarm clock is worth considering if you get up at 7:00 am or earlier: 40 weekday mornings here are still properly dark at that hour, mostly between Oct 7 and Mar 19.
- On daylight grounds there is a strong case for a light therapy lamp: 59 weekdays start and end in the dark. Use it in the morning, and if winter low mood is the reason, ask a doctor before you rely on one.
- If you head home at 5:30 pm, the sun has already set from Nov 2 to Feb 19: worth checking your bike lights and porch light before Nov 2.
Daylight in Spearfish, month by month
Sunrise, sunset and day length on the 21st of each month, local clock time. December is the darkest, at 8h 50m.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 5:31 am | 8:32 pm | 15h 02m |
| August 2026 | 6:05 am | 7:51 pm | 13h 45m |
| September 2026 | 6:41 am | 6:54 pm | 12h 13m |
| October 2026 | 7:18 am | 6:01 pm | 10h 42m |
| November 2026 | 7:00 am | 4:22 pm | 9h 23m |
| December 2026 | 7:29 am | 4:18 pm | 8h 50m |
| January 2027 | 7:24 am | 4:49 pm | 9h 25m |
| February 2027 | 6:46 am | 5:32 pm | 10h 46m |
| March 2027 | 6:57 am | 7:09 pm | 12h 12m |
| April 2027 | 6:01 am | 7:47 pm | 13h 46m |
| May 2027 | 5:22 am | 8:23 pm | 15h 01m |
| June 2027 | 5:11 am | 8:44 pm | 15h 33m |
Spearfish against the places around it
On the shortest day, compared with Spearfish (8h 50m, sunset 4:18 pm):
- Rapid City, SD, 41 mi away: 8h 53m of daylight (+3 min), sunset 4:17 pm (-1 min).
- Box Elder, SD, 45 mi away: 8h 52m of daylight (+2 min), sunset 4:17 pm (-1 min).
- Gillette, WY, 84 mi away: 8h 51m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 4:26 pm (+8 min).
- Sheridan, WY, 156 mi away: 8h 47m of daylight (-3 min), sunset 4:30 pm (+12 min).
- Casper, WY, 169 mi away: 9h 01m of daylight (+11 min), sunset 4:34 pm (+16 min).